Church of St. Matthew

A visible expression of God's love

  • Home
  • Mission & News
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Parish Bulletins & Inserts
    • Staff & Programs
    • Safe Environment
    • Volunteer Opportunities & Parish Needs
    • Liturgical Ministry
    • Music Ministry
    • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Facility Rental
    • Parish History
      • Our History
      • Fr. Steve Homilies
      • West Side Paintings
      • 50th Anniversary of 1968 Church Fire
      • 50th Anniversary of Our Church Building
    • Men’s Club
    • Rosary Society
      • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Serving Our Neighbor
      • Casa Guadalupana
      • Loaves and Fishes
      • St. Mary’s Health Clinic
  • Worship
    • Mass Times & Reconciliation
    • Worship Online
    • Online Mass videos
    • Funeral Planning and Liturgies
  • Faith & Learning
    • Sacrament of Baptism
    • Faith Formation
    • Community of Saints School: Pre-K through 8
    • The Good News newsletter
    • Safe Environment
  • Alums-Family-Friends
    • About Alums & Family & Friends (AFF)
    • AFF Committee
    • The Good News newsletter
    • How to Give to Community of Saints School
    • Alums Scholarship Fund
    • Scrip Fundraising
    • Missing Alums List
    • Class Reunions
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Fr. Steve's Reflections / Reflection from Father Steve – May 15, 2022

Reflection from Father Steve – May 15, 2022

May 15, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Easter

This is the 131st anniversary of Rerum Novarum.

May 15, 1891 Pope Leo XIII defends workers’ rights and property rights in the encyclical letter Rerum Novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching.

Rerum Novarum is the Latin opening words and the title of the letter and means “On the Condition of Labor”.

Although the Encyclical follows the church’s traditional teaching concerning the rights and duties of property and the relations of employer and employee, it applies the teaching to modern conditions.

It opens with a description of the grievances of workers. It proceeds to refute the false theories of the Socialists, and to defend the right of private ownership. “The true remedy”, continues the pope, “is to be found in the combined action of the Church, the State, the employer, and the employed.”

The Church is more than interested in the social question because of its religious and moral aspects. The State has the right and the duty to intervene on behalf of justice and individual and social wellbeing. Employers and workers should organize into both mixed and separate associations for mutual protection and for self protection. All this is set forth with detail to address the principal problems and relations of industrial life – the rich became super rich and great majority were relegated to poverty. The “Robber Barons” controlled economic life in the country – one of whom was James J. Hill, the Empire Builder.

I was introduced to this church teaching by the former pastor of St. Matthew, Msgr. James Cecka – among his responsibilities he was a college teacher of history and the Church’s Social Teaching.

This writing of Pope Leo lit a fire under a young man from Vermillion, Minnesota – John A. Ryan. He became a priest of our local church and then taught at the Catholic University of America. His work on the social teaching of the church impressed Frances Perkins, who was to become the Secretary of Labor in FDR’s administration. Msgr. Ryan – home-town-boy makes good – was instrumental in the formulation of the National Labor Relations Act, the prohibition against child labor, the 40 hour work week, the Social Security Act and the living wage.

As a result, the Church became a strong support of labor unions and the protection of immigrant families. This letter of Leo XIII opened the door to the Church’s engagement in the affairs of social and economic life.

Father Steve Adrian

  • Share this page to Facebook
  • Share this page to Twitter

Published May 16, 2022. Filed Under: Fr. Steve's Reflections. Posted by Richard Schletty

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

Parish Bulletins

Download bulletins and inserts

Online Mass Videos

Online Masses as individual posts

Recent Posts

  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 29, 2023
  • Upgrade the Electrical Box: $150,000 Fundraiser
  • Reflection from Father Steve – January 29, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-29-2023
  • Lector Workshop: Proclaiming the Good News! February 4, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-22-2023
  • Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra Family Concert – Peter and the Timberwolf, with Hip Hop, History and the Arts – 2/5/2023
  • Faith Formation News, January 22, 2023
  • Liturgical ministry scheduling for Ash Wednesday – May 28
  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 22, 2023
  • Reflection from Father Steve – January 22, 2023
  • Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 1-15-2023
  • Isaac’s Blessing Bags 2022 – Thank You
  • Parish Administrator’s Note – January 15, 2023
  • Faith Formation News, January 15, 2023

See all blog posts

Blog Categories

  • Advent and Christmas
  • Alums & Family & Friends
  • Catholic Leadership
  • Class Reunions
  • Community of Saints School
  • Community Service
  • Faith Formation / Religious Education
  • Fall Festival
  • Food events
  • Fr. Steve's Reflections
  • Free food
  • Fundraising and Donations
  • General News
  • Gospel Readings
  • History
  • Homilies Weekly
  • Job Fair
  • Lent and Easter
  • Liturgical Ministry
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Memorials and Dedications
  • Men's Club
  • Messages from Fr. Bob
  • Music
  • Parish Pastoral Council
  • Pastoral Ministry
  • Prayer and Adoration
  • Reflection
  • Rosary Society
  • Sacraments
  • Scouts
  • The Good News newsletter
  • Vocations/Religious Life
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Worship
  • Youth Ministry

Subscribe to us!
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Site development and design by Schletty Design • Contact if you have trouble using this website.